Del Bosque was a shoo-in for the Coach of the Year award after leading La Roja to glory at Euro 2012 and the Spaniard indeed triumphed over former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola and Mourinho.

The 62-year-old, who has been in charge of Spain since 2008, said that the presence of two Spanish coaches on the shortlist was testament to the high esteem of the nation's coaching methods within the football world.

But the absence of Mourinho, who chose not to attend in order to better prepare for his side's Copa del Rey clash with Celta Vigo on Wednesday, left him short of further praise for the Portuguese manager.

"Mourinho is not here because he has an important game on Wednesday," Del Bosque said. "It is his personal decision.

"It is very satisfying to have two Spanish coaches sitting here. Before, we went abroad to see what other people were doing.